What are YOU sowing?

Galatians 6:7–9 “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

My question for tonight: WHAT ARE YOU SOWING?

PRAYER

The verses we just read describes a Kingdom principle that we can find all throughout Scripture.

Paul was talking to believers in Galatia.

In chapter 5:16-25, we see Paul calling these believers to allow the Holy Spirit to guide their lives so that they would not begin following what their flesh wants.

Galatians 5:16–17 “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” Galatians 5:24–25 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

So it is obvious some believers in this place were struggling with wanting to do the right things. Some were also hyper-fixated on the rule following aspect and were more concerned with religious rituals than a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Paul was correcting these struggles by making the solution simple: WALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Guide (walk): same steps, same gait, go the same places

So to produce the kind of success in the Christian life that God desires for us to have, we have to walk in step with the Spirit of God.

If we get out of step or out of alignment, we begin to go back to the things that are natural to us, which are sinful and put us at the center.

Paul states in v25 that if you truly say you follow Jesus, you are going to put your wants, passions, and desires to sin to death.

That would mean that WE have a responsibility and a strength given to us as believers by God alone to sow a better seed.

Chapter 6: Sowing (planting): scattering and dispersing seed

If you are not happy with what you are reaping, sow a different seed.

Pastor Aaron

What should we be sowing? Lets look at what the disciples sowed after Jesus was resurrected, spent time with Him, and He was about to make His ascension into heaven. What they sowed reaped of harvest of supernatural change not only in their lives, but in the lives of those in their cities, regions, nation, and nations beyond.

Acts 1:4 “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.” Acts 1:8–9 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.”

Jesus had given them instructions of what they needed to sow

Acts 1:12–14 “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.”

SOWED A SEED OF OBEDIENCE (I paid the asked for price of the burger)

Jesus told them to not leave Jerusalem until the promise of the Father had come

They knew God. They knew Jesus. They now needed an introduction to the Holy Spirit, which would further their understanding of all of three.

SOWED A SEED OF INTENTIONAL PRAYER (I spent time seeking after the burger)

What if the very encounter you needed required a little more lingering, a little more prayer than what you are used to?

They were also united as one. Acts 2 also mentions this in some versions, that they were in “one accord”

Acts 2:1–4 “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

3. SOWED A SEED OF PATIENT EXPECTATION (I waited knowing that at the right time I would receive my burger)

They had spent 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection hearing about the promise of the Holy Spirit and other things to come

On day 40, Jesus ascends to heaven, with His final instruction being to WAIT

On day 50, which fell on the Festival of Weeks that the Jews all came together to celebrate in Jerusalem together to celebrate the harvest, is when the Holy Spirit fell

The point is that they were gonna wait till what was promised came.

Galatians 5 and Galatians 6 tell us that as we sow into the things of the Spirit, we WILL reap what we sow. If we let the Holy Spirit guide our lives (surrender to Him is what we sow), we will reap obedience and a life pleasing to God. If we sow into the things of the Spirit, we will reap everlasting life.

Isaiah 55:10–13 ““The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.””

Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

ALTAR: HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM + REPENTANCE